Dorothy Lee Barnett to be extradited to US over kidnapping of daughter Savanna Todd

September 4, 20146:43pm

Savanna Todd pictured leaving Maroochydore Courthouse last November. Her mother Dorothy Barnett is in custody after being arrested 20 years after removing Savanna from the custody of her father in the United States. Picture: Jack Tran

A FATHER has lead the way for Australian authorities to locate his ex-wife, who fled the United States after kidnapping their 10-month-old daughter almost twenty years ago.

Benjamin Harris Todd has revealed his daughter, Savanna Todd, has been “reluctant to meet”, ever since finding out she was kidnapped by her mother at just 10-months.

“She only knows her mother and the misinformation that has been provided her. She likely would be considered by her mother to be disloyal if she were to meet [Todd] at this time,” a laywer for Mr Todd told the Daily Mail.

Dorothy Lee Barnett, 53, was arrested on the Sunshine Coast in 2013 after she allegedly fled the US with daughter, Savanna Todd, 19 years earlier.

The Queensland mother will be extradited to the US to face decades-old parental kidnapping charges.

An emotional Benjamin Todd is interviewed on local TV regarding his desire to be reunited with his long lost daughter.Source:News Corp Australia

The minister also took into account representations made by and on behalf of Barnett.

The spokesman would not comment on the timing of her extradition as it was an operational matter.

“This is to ensure the safety of all persons involved and to uphold the integrity of the surrender process,” the statement said. Barnett also faces charges of falsifying passport documents. She remains in extradition custody in Queensland.

Queensland was not the initial first stop for the pair of runaways. After fleeing the United States, Ms Barnett took refuge in South Africa, marrying a man by the name of Juan Geldenhuys in 1995. Together, they had a son, now 17, before moving onto New Zealand and gaining citizenship.

After she split with Mr Geldenhuys, Ms Barnett moved north, to Queensland, with the two children. Police believe she used multiple aliases to escape.